How Social Media Can Spur Job Offers

You woke up early for the interview. You researched the company and know it was founded in 1987 by a woman who was raised on a soybean farm and went to graduate school in Chicago. You know that it recently launched an app that brought in more than 2,000 new customers in 15 days. You've done your homework. But so have they. That's why they called you.

Jobs aren’t just parts of our lives, but parts of our lifestyles. As our online personal lives become increasingly intertwined with our professional aspirations, job seekers can no longer embellish their resumes and backgrounds to suit a particular position's required credentials. But, they can get noticed for any natural alignments between their interests and available jobs. If you're a golf geek with a penchant for 9 irons, chances are your LinkedIn connections and those Youtube videos you posted from the Master's have something to do with why editors from Golf Digest called you. Employers want staffers who share the same passion and values as they do. Having a Twitter following doesn't hurt either.

As John White, agency recruiter at Mullen, explains in this article, "We are often asked about candidates who have large Twitter followings or who frequently blog. If their focus is on advertising, current trends or current campaigns, we are likely to pay attention. It can certainly help a candidate cut through the clutter. Adeptness with social media is a plus for any candidate in our business."

We all know we should do what we love. However, when you have bills to pay and children to feed, this can take a backseat to reality. But as our lives, interests and hobbies continue to move online, we're actually creating a shadow resume of who we are and what we love to do via social media. Eventually, some business somewhere will take notice. They just may be one of your Twitter followers.

Image courtesy of ivanpw